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“Oh, you’re so sweet. But you’re looking a little skinny there.” She raised an eyebrow in my direction. “Are you feeding this boy?”
I raised my hand in surrender. “I am, I promise. He cooks for me every day.” I patted my own belly. “Maybe I’m eating too much and not saving enough for him, because I’m definitely taking on the pounds that he’s been losing.”
Billy shrugged and I could see a pink tint blossoming across his cheeks. “I’m eating just fine. But…my walks with Kona and the other dogs have been getting longer and longer.” He glanced up at me and winked. “It’s nice to have a reason to take care of myself.”
He sat down in one of the chairs across from Mom, and I sat beside him, scooting my chair right up to his so our thighs were touching. My hand instinctively went to the back of his neck, cuffing him, so he was reminded that I was there. “Always.”
“Speaking of taking care of yourself, I’ve started doing water aerobics again. The pool is heated to 90°, so it’s lovely on my old bones.”
“That’s great, Ma. I know you used to like to do that.” I faced her, noticing the renewed vigor that had been missing for a few years. “You really do look great.”
“Yeah, I know I was in a funk for a while, but I’ve decided that I’m not getting any younger, so if I want the rest of my time here to be happy and comfortable, I need to stay in shape and do the things I love doing.”
I squeezed Billy’s neck and rubbed my thumb across his skin, encouraging him to share his news as well.
He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “Actually, I have some news too. You know I’ve always wanted to open my own bakery, right?”
Mom nodded, excited by where he was going with this announcement.
“Well, there’s a bakery that allows pastry chefs to rent time in their kitchen and sell from their storefront. It’s kind of like a co-op, but I only have to work there a few hours per week.”
Mom clapped her hands together. “That’s wonderful, sweetheart. And will you still work at the doggy daycare?”
“Oh yeah. I can’t give that up, but I’ll probably do part-time at each, taking occasional night shifts when we have dogs boarded and then working in the bakery a couple mornings per week. I’m really excited about it.”
I leaned over and kissed his temple. “I’m so proud of you, baby. You’re an amazing baker, and now humans will get to enjoy all your delicious creations.” I reached over and scratched Kona’s head. “Not just the rugrats you’ve been baking for.”
Billy laughed and swatted at my arm. “I love baking for all my fur babies, but yes, it will be nice to get actual feedback, not just wagging tails.”
We had dinner with my mom, and then I took Billy back home. To our home. The place we were building our life together. Now and forever.
* * *
Max embraced his ADHD with his whole heart. He loved moving fast and getting stuff done at triple the speed of people around him. As a mechanic, that was actually quite lucrative. But that fast pace made it hard to make friends and meet people in the kink community he was trying to explore.
James rarely visited Prowl during the week, but he’d gotten talked into being backup security during a Daddy auction night, so he left work early and got himself presentable. He wasn’t actively looking for a boy, but it didn’t hurt to look nice in case there was anyone who caught his eye.
Max agreed to meet up with a few online friends at Prowl for their Daddy auction night. He wasn’t going bid on anyone, but it was nice to meet people in real life now and then.
When James sees Max flitting around, looking lost and anxious at the same time, his natural instinct to step in is triggered. But the boy disappears and it isn’t until James meets his new mechanic that he realizes he probably should have followed that instinct sooner.
